*HR1542*
Introduced Version
HOUSE
RESOLUTION No. ___
Introduced by: Pressel, Speedy
____________________________________
1 A HOUSE RESOLUTION designates May as General
2 Aviation Appreciation Month.
3 Whereas, In 1939, several significant events took place to
4 usher in a new era of general aviation that would solidify its
5 important place in American society;
6 Whereas, American general aviation industry transitioned
7 from the "Golden Age" to full mobilization for World War II,
8 during which the airplane changed from a slow,
9 wood-and-fabric biplane to a fast, sleek, all-metal monoplane;
10 Whereas, President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the
11 Civilian Pilot Training Act, which provided a needed boost to
12 general aviation by providing pilot training to 20,000 college
13 students each year. At the peak of the Civilian Pilot Training
14 Program, 1,132 educational institutions and 1,460 flight
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1 schools participated in the program;
2 Whereas, President Roosevelt also established National
3 Aviation Day in 1939 to celebrate Orville Wright's birthday;
4 Whereas, The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association
5 (AOPA) was founded to protect the freedom to fly while keeping
6 general aviation safe, fun, and affordable. Today, AOPA is the
7 largest and most trusted resource for all things related to
8 general aviation;
9 Whereas, Today, the U.S. general aviation industry is
10 composed of more than 200,000 aircraft, safely flies over 26
11 million flight hours, and registers 30 million safe takeoffs and
12 landings per year;
13 Whereas, General aviation contributes over $247 billion in
14 economic impact and supports 1.2 million jobs across the
15 country, and often serves as a vital lifeline for communities
16 through missions of disaster relief, humanitarian aid, law
17 enforcement, and agricultural support;
18 Whereas, Over 650,000 registered pilots in the United States
19 access more than 5,100 public use airports and another 14,000
20 privately owned airfields, more than any other country in the
21 world. These pilots and airports connect communities across
22 America with the National Air Transportation system;
23 Whereas, General aviation is safer than it has ever been.
24 General aviation safety performance has greatly improved over
25 the last several decades, with the fatal accident rate, a
26 traditional measuring stick, lowering to 0.73 per 100,000 flight
27 hours, a historic record. That's less than half of what it was in
28 the mid-1990s;
29 Whereas, Over the last 85 years, our citizens have marveled
30 at the continual technological advancements in general
31 aviation that have improved our lives, enabled access to
32 communities across the country, created hundreds of billions of
33 dollars in economic impact and growth, and propelled the U.S.
34 as the world leader in general aviation;
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1 Whereas, People travel from around the world to access the
2 exceptional training and the freedom in this country to fly
3 general aviation aircraft. Foreign governments send their pilots
4 here for critical training to fly their most prominent dignitaries
5 and to train for careers in the airlines;
6 Whereas, Americans Orville and Wilbur Wright first
7 harnessed powered flight at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina,
8 and Charles Lindbergh became the most famous person the
9 world had ever known when he departed U.S. soil in an
10 American-built aircraft to cross the Atlantic, providing a deep
11 source of American pride and identity;
12 Whereas, The state of Indiana has 5,120 registered general
13 aviation aircraft, 13,300 certificated pilots, and 128 public-use
14 facilities; and
15 Whereas, General aviation brings over $1.4 billion in
16 economic activity and supports 11,280 jobs to the state of
17 Indiana according to the State Aviation System Plan:
18 Therefore,
19 Be it resolved by the House of Representatives of the
20 General Assembly of the State of Indiana:
21 SECTION 1. That the Indiana House of Representatives
22 recognizes that the national celebration of the General Aviation
23 Flyover in Washington, D.C., presents a tremendous
24 opportunity to seize the public imagination, reflect on our
25 ability to safely achieve innovative technological
26 advancements, and be a defining moment in remembering the
27 past, present, and future significance of general aviation in the
28 United States.
29 SECTION 2. That the Indiana House of Representatives
30 designates May 2024 as General Aviation Appreciation Month
31 to commemorate the last 85 years in general aviation.
32 SECTION 3. That the Principal Clerk of the House of
33 Representatives shall transmit copies of this resolution to State
34 Representative Jim Pressel for distribution.
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